How to build a SBR?

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  • Mark-DuCo

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    I've been wanting a short 300 Blackout for awhile now. I was just going to go the pistol and pistol brace route until the ATF went after them. Now, I figure I might as well just build a true SBR.

    My question is can I take an AR that I already own (lower was sold as a 5.56 rifle), register it, through a form 1, as a short barreled rifle, and then buy a short barreled upper and be ready to go? Or is it more complicated than that?
     

    jagee

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    Are you going to suppress it? Go with an integral upper. 1 stamp, rifle length with can included. Then just swap uppers as you see fit. :cool:

     

    Cameramonkey

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    in a nutshell, that's it.

    But beware of constructive possession. You can't buy the parts until you have permission.
    Kinda. My understanding is there has to be no other way to use the upper lawfully for CP to apply. Otherwise all of us with short pistols and rifles would be screwed.

    If you have a pistol lower to go with the short upper, you are good to go.

    If you store the shorty upper elsewhere, you are good. (In case you find a deal you just cant pass up) Some say in another part of the house is good enough, others say offsite like at your office, a parent's house, etc. But in your safe/gun room with the rifle lowers would be bad.
     
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    Mark-DuCo

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    Are you going to suppress it? Go with an integral upper. 1 stamp, rifle length with can included. Then just swap uppers as you see fit. :cool:

    I am, I actually already have a 30 cal can for it.
     

    1nderbeard

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    Kinda. My understanding is there has to be no other way to use the upper lawfully for CP to apply. Otherwise all of us with short pistols and rifles would be screwed.

    If you have a pistol lower to go with the short upper, you are good to go.

    If you store the shorty upper elsewhere, you are good. (In case you find a deal you just cant pass up) Some say in another part of the house is good enough, others say offsite like at your office, a parent's house, etc. But in your safe/gun room with the rifle lowers would be bad.
    Yeah I assumed he didn't have any other AR stuff.
    When I was applying for my 1st SBR I had a few other AR uppers, so having an extra stock wasn't CP.
     

    Cameramonkey

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    Yeah I assumed he didn't have any other AR stuff.
    When I was applying for my 1st SBR I had a few other AR uppers, so having an extra stock wasn't CP.
    Either I misread or you are thinking backwards.

    It doesnt have to be an extra lower to have an issue with CP. They would argue you could take a rifle upper off any of your rifles and add the shorty to create a NFA item. Thats where they get you.

    But if you had a pistol lower alone to use the shorty with, or a complete 223 pistol you could swap the blackout upper with you are good.

    They get ya if you have no way to use the upper without breaking the law.
     

    Mark-DuCo

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    Either I misread or you are thinking backwards.

    It doesnt have to be an extra lower to have an issue with CP. They would argue you could take a rifle upper off any of your rifles and add the shorty to create a NFA item. Thats where they get you.

    But if you had a pistol lower alone to use the shorty with, or a complete 223 pistol you could swap the blackout upper with you are good.

    They get ya if you have no way to use the upper without breaking the law.
    That would be the issue I have, I currently have 2 AR's, but both are rifles. I would just wait to purchase the short upper until I received my tax stamp to be safe.

    Would the serial number already on the lower be able to be used to register it as an SBR, or does it need a new serial number to become an SBR?
     

    Cameramonkey

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    That would be the issue I have, I currently have 2 AR's, but both are rifles. I would just wait to purchase the short upper until I received my tax stamp to be safe.

    Would the serial number already on the lower be able to be used to register it as an SBR, or does it need a new serial number to become an SBR?
    I believe you use the serial, but you have to engrave a name or trust depending. Or maybe its a name unless its a trust? I forget. @Aszerigan would know.
     

    2tonic

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    Serial number is good to go, but you need to engrave either your name, or the name of your trust, along with the city/town and state where registered (on your ATF paperwork).

    Engraving must be done to ATF spec, and before you can legally assemble the sbr.
     

    Aszerigan

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    I believe you use the serial, but you have to engrave a name or trust depending. Or maybe its a name unless its a trust? I forget. @Aszerigan would know.
    You can either use the existing serial number or engrave your own under your standard SBR markings.

    If you’re registering a ‘standard’ SBR, either your name / Trust name must be engraved as well as the city & state of manufacturing.
     

    1nderbeard

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    Either I misread or you are thinking backwards.

    It doesnt have to be an extra lower to have an issue with CP. They would argue you could take a rifle upper off any of your rifles and add the shorty to create a NFA item. Thats where they get you.

    But if you had a pistol lower alone to use the shorty with, or a complete 223 pistol you could swap the blackout upper with you are good.

    They get ya if you have no way to use the upper without breaking the law
    I got you.

    Yeah I had an unregistered lower without the stock on as I was waiting for approval. The stock was unattached, but I also had another AR.
     

    1nderbeard

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    Oh yeah. You would have been SCREWED. :):
    Don't know if you were being serious....I thought I'd read where lowers that were not yet designated "pistol/rifle" could theoretically be anything. As long as it didn't have a stock it was a pistol.
    Of course when you apply it becomes a "rifle" and can no longer be used as a pistol for another short barrel config.

    Doesn't much matter now. Not sure I plan to do any more tax stamp stuff.
     
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